The Weather Checklist for Pilots - Part 2

Having highlighted all the essential components of weather to look out for in Part-1 of this series, Here is my effort in the direction of coming up with a challenge/response type of checklist.

Since VFR/IFR are two options for flight, it’s the first item Pilots need to ascertain.

Challenge: VFR/IFR flight?

PilotFlying(PF) Response: VFR

PilotMonitoring(PM) Response: VFR

Visibility must next be checked out.

Challenge: Visibility greater than 5000m?

PF Response: 6000m

PM Response: 6000m

Wind direction and speed should be got hold of. Cross wind component must be calculated beforehand so that we can determine whether it’s within aircrafts permissible limits.

Challenge: Wind Speed and direction within permissible limits for flight?

PF Response: 280 Mag/7 Kts - permissible

PM Response: 280 Mag/7 Kts -permissible

Temperatures then should be found out. Cloudbase height calculated to check if it’s acceptable.

Challenge: Temparature and Dewpoint, cloudbase height acceptable limits for flight?

PF Response: 24 deg C temp/12 deg C dewpoint ; cloudbase - 4800ft - acceptable

PM Response: 24 deg C temp/12 deg C dewpoint; cloudbase - 4800ft - acceptable

Pressure then should be obtained.

Challenge: Pressure to be set in altimeter obtained for flight? Qfe/Qne/Qnh

PF Response: 1008 Qnh ; Flying altitudes

PM Response: 1008 Qnh ; Flying altitudes

Clouds then need to be identified. Presence of serious clouds like CB/TCU, Cloud layers should not add up more than half the sky

Challenge: Clouds checked and Clouds coverage more than half the sky?

PF Response: No CB/TCU, less than half the sky

PM Response: No CB/TCU, less than half the sky

TAF carefully accessed for the entire duration of flight with buffers if returning back to same Aerodrome else all aerodromes - departure, destination and alternate checked for potential problems.

Challenge: Weather acceptable for entire journey including destination and alternates?

PF Response: Departure, Destination and Alternate Weather acceptable for landing.

PM Response: Departure, Destination and Alternate Weather acceptable for landing.

Satellite images have been carefully gone over to check for any anticipated weathers approaching from the furthest point. Here, unlike high end commercial aircrafts which boast of weather radars, one must carefully go over them before hand to be mentally prepared. Pilots must exchange the same weather images.

Challenge: Satellite Weather image verified and risks manageable?

PF Response: Image:X,Y checked - manageable.

PM Response: Image:X,Y checked - manageable.

The above could be good checks, one could perform pre-flight and go ahead with flights. The same is presented below in table format.

Challenge	PF Response	PM Response
VFR/IFR flight?	VFR/IFR	VFR/IFR
Visibility greater than 5000m?	xxxx mts	xxxx mts
Wind Speed and direction within permissible limits for flight?	xxx Mag/y Kts - permissible	xxx Mag/y Kts - permissible
Temparature and Dewpoint, cloudbase height acceptable limits for flight?	xx deg C temp/yy deg C dewpoint ; cloudbase - zzzzft – acceptable	xx deg C temp/yy deg C dewpoint ; cloudbase - zzzzft - acceptable
Pressure to be set in altimeter obtained for flight? Qfe/Qne/Qnh	xxxx Qnh/Qfe/Qnh ; Flying altitudes/heights/FlightLevels	xxxx Qnh/Qfe/Qnh ; Flying altitudes/heights/FlightLevels
Clouds checked and Clouds coverage more than half the sky?	No CB/TCU, less than half the sky	No CB/TCU, less than half the sky
Weather acceptable for entire journey including destination and alternates?	Departure, Destination and Alternate Weather acceptable for landing.	Departure, Destination and Alternate Weather acceptable for landing.
Satellite Weather image verified and risks manageable?	Image:X,Y checked - manageable.	Image:X,Y checked - manageable.

Notes:

1. Pilot Monitoring responses in case of Solo flights could be an instructor or fellow pilot buddy.

2. Feel free to correct any inconsistencies/add more information to the above.

3. One of the feedback I received for Part 1 of this series blog was to include the sources of Weather I normally gather from. Below are my usual ones:

Mobile/Tablet apps:

·         Aviation Tools Free (aviatools.blogspot.com)

·         StationWX Lite (stationweather.com)

Both the above apps give METAR and TAF for a whole lot of locations.

·         Weather Underground(wunderground.com) - this app gives satellite images of weather.

During my flight training days, we used to collect ARFOR for cross country flights, obtained from:

·         olbs.amsschennai.gov.in - a met watch office portal of India Meteorology Department(imd.gov.in) for aviation. Also has METAR,TAF, Satellite images and a host of other weather related stuff.